#husITa18/#SWSD2018: A Connected Community of Learning for Practice: Social Work Virtual Pal
On Friday July 6, 2018 at 5:39 PM in Dobber B of the RSD at the 2018 International Social Work, Education & Social Development Conference, we (Amanda Taylor and Laurel Hitchcock) will be presenting about #SWVirtualPal, an online community for social workers from around the globe with the goal of helping them to engage, learn from each other, and hopefully collaborate on international projects. The development of Social Work Virtual Pal, an innovation that builds upon the original ‘penpal’ idea, currently exists as a Twitter account @SWVirtualPal with an accompanying hashtag #SWVirtualPal. Because of our passion for digital and social technology, we designed Social Work Virtual Pal to promote and support connection through computer mediated engagement via Twitter (a microblogging social media platform), where we first met and connected. This community fills a need in global social work education and practice, that aims to link social work students, educators and practitioners from vast distances and across multiple time zones that in turn break down geographical boundaries. without having to leave their own location and using minimal resources.
In previous blog posts, we have shared our thinking around Social Work Virtual Pal, including ways that social work educators can incorporating @SWVirtualPal into the classroom. Here are links to these posts:
– #SWvirtualpal: Hashtagging for Connection
– Social Work Educator’s Guide for #SWVirtualPal
– Social Work Virtual Pal (#SWVirtualPal)… a very ‘real’ connection!
Below you’ll find our conference proposal and a link to our handout.. We’d love it if you joined us on Friday, July 7th and found your own #SWVirtualPal and shared your experiences about using online communities for learning and professional development.
Conference Handout: https://tinyurl.com/SWVirtualPalPoster
Proposed Learning Outcomes: Delegates (social workers, student social workers, academics, researchers, journals, publishers, faculties of social work) will have the opportunity to engage with the @SWVirtualPal Twitter feed and to search for and connect with their own global virtual pal.
Abstract : Social Work Virtual Pal is a community of learning for practice that aims to connect social work professionals from across the globe for the purposes of peer support and the sharing of ideas and practice knowledge. Delegates will be provided with an overview of the #SWVirtualPal innovation – developed by an academic in the USA and an academic in the UK – who formed a working relationship via Twitter based upon mutual interests relating to the use of new technologies to support social work education and more specifically student learning. This professional relationship is nurtured and maintained through monthly Facetime meetings that have led to the development of various teaching and learning methods in social work education – Social Work Virtual Pal being one example of the work of this global connection. Blogs relating to this work can be accessed here: https://laureliversonhitchcock.org/2016/12/08/social-work-educators-guide-for-swvirtualpal/
The most recent being commissioned by the Chief Social Worker for England (Adults) Lyn Romeo – who heard about this work and decided to support it through her blog. Delegates can read the blog here https://lynromeo.blog.gov.uk/2017/07/05/social-work-virtual-pal-local-practice-with-global-connections/ .Furthermore, delegates will have the opportunity to find their own #SWVirtualPal and see where it takes them in terms of their learning and development.
How to cite this blog post:
Hitchcock, L.I. & Taylor, A. (2018, July 5). #husITa18/#SWSD2018: A Connected Community of Learning for Practice: Social Work Virtual Pal
[Blog Post]. Retrieved from: https://laureliversonhitchcock.org/2018/07/05/husita18-swsd2018-a-connected-community-of-learning-for-practice-social-work-virtual-pal/
